MCP Integration

Use SimplyPNG background removal directly from Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, and any MCP-compatible AI agent — no code required.

What is MCP? The Model Context Protocol (MCP) lets AI assistants call external tools. With simplypng-mcp installed, your AI can remove image backgrounds as part of any conversation or workflow — and always asks for your confirmation before spending credits.

Get an API Key

Create a SimplyPNG API key from the developer console. The MCP server uses this key to process images on your behalf.

Get API Key

Configure Claude Desktop

Edit your Claude Desktop config file and add the SimplyPNG MCP server. No installation needed —npx fetches the latest version automatically.

Config file location

Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Add to your config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "simplypng": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "simplypng-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "SIMPLYPNG_API_KEY": "sp_live_your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Save the file and fully restart Claude Desktop (Cmd+Q / Alt+F4, then reopen).

Use it

Once configured, just ask Claude naturally. It will check your credit balance, ask for confirmation, process the image, and give you a download link.

Example prompts

"Remove the background from this product photo: https://example.com/photo.jpg"

"Process these 5 product images and remove their backgrounds"

"Remove background in HD mode — it's a portrait with detailed hair"

Use image URLs, not local files

When using MCP tools, always provide a public image URL rather than a local file path. Passing local image files as base64 data consumes a very large portion of the AI conversation context (a 1MB image uses ~340,000 tokens), which quickly makes the conversation unusable.

To get a URL for a local file: upload it to Google Drive and copy the share link, use iCloud / Dropbox shared links, or use SimplyPNG.app directly for local files.

Available Tools

estimate_credits

Check your credit balance and estimate cost before processing. Always called first.

remove_background

Remove background from a single image. Returns a download URL.

batch_remove_background

Remove backgrounds from up to 50 images in one batch.

get_job_status

Check processing status for a job or batch.

download_results

Get the final download URL for a completed job.

Credit usage

Fast mode (default): 1 credit per image — input resized to 2500px, output up to 2500px.

HD mode: 2 credits per image — input preserved up to 4096px, output up to 4096px. Use when you need high-resolution output or the subject has fine edge detail (hair, fur, feathers).

The AI will always show you the estimated cost and ask for confirmation before processing.

Other MCP Clients

simplypng-mcp works with any MCP-compatible client that supports stdio transport.

Client	Config
Claude Desktop	Use config above
Cursor	Settings → MCP → same JSON structure
Windsurf	Settings → MCP → same JSON structure
VS Code (Cline/Continue)	Extension settings → MCP servers

Need an API key for automation?

The MCP server uses the same SimplyPNG API keys as direct API access. API credit packages never expire and are available from $19.

Get API Key

API Reference API Quickstart